Bridging the red-blue divide on climate

Heather Reams, the president of Citizens for Responsible Energy Solutions (CRES), stepped onto the stage at Breckenridge’s Mountain Towns 2030 summit — a room full of progressives accustomed to negotiating with Republicans on climate policy. She faced an audience from Idaho, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado — areas that often depend on Republican-controlled legislatures to achieve local sustainability goals.

Reams suggested that the instinct of these communities shouldn’t be to lecture or shame. It should be to listen and find common ground. “Democrats can’t do it alone,” she said. “Republicans care deeply about their land. They hunt, they fish, they ski. They love the outdoors as much as anyone. So, of course, they care about clean air and water. The question is: How do we talk about it?”

A lifelong Republican, Reams has made it her mission to answer that question. CRES collaborates with GOP lawmakers to promote clean energy, arguing that the conservative case for renewables is grounded in innovation, competitiveness and energy independence — not ideology, according to the Tribune News Service.

At the conference, she stressed that the key to climate progress isn’t confrontation, but compromise. One side might favor solar projects while the other insists on traditional fuel sources. By recognising shared interests — for example, expanding solar energy while permitting additional natural gas pipelines or transmission lines — both sides can advance without ideological conflict. It’s not about surrender; it’s practical problem-solving.

Reams highlighted Sen. John Curtis of Utah, founder of the Conservative Climate Caucus, as a conservative champion of the environment. He has argued that the GOP should help shape, not resist, climate policy, emphasizing that sound stewardship and strong markets go hand in hand. Not all conservatives are on board. Reams wryly notes Utah’s other senator, Mike Lee, who, as she puts it, “just pats me on the head” when renewables come up.

Polls suggest that finding common ground reflects more than strategy— it meets voter demand. Pew Research Center data from 2024 show that 72 percent of Americans — including 56% of Republicans under 40 — support expanding solar and wind energy. A Yale Climate Communications poll reinforces this enthusiasm, showing that clean energy incentives can generate local jobs and economic growth.

Beyond politics, Reams emphasised the economic benefits of renewables. Solar, wind, battery storage, advanced nuclear, and geothermal are increasingly cost-competitive. Emerging energy industries can create high-paying local jobs, keeping residents in their hometowns rather than forcing talent to cities. She believes free-market forces are increasingly backing the case for clean energy.

That resonates with Republican leaders, who tend to prioritize economic and local issues and often find that sustained dialogue is more effective than public confrontation. “Renewables are winning on price,” Reams said. “You don’t have to love climate policy to love cheaper energy and American jobs. We can win this on free-market principles.”

Geography and lifestyle naturally align. Western Republicans often share goals with progressives for preserving air, water and open space — and honoring the outdoorsy lifestyle. Coastal communities have similar motivations, whether it’s a clean Chesapeake Bay or a healthy Tampa Bay. For Americans who hunt, ski or hike, the outdoors can be a shared starting point — even across party lines.

For communities pursuing ambitious climate goals, the lesson is clear: engage people where they are, identify shared priorities, and focus on solutions that deliver economic and lifestyle benefits. Extreme views will always exist, but the broad middle can drive policy forward. Pragmatic collaboration, not ideological purity, is the path to progress.

By turning shared values into practical policies — whether through permitting reform or renewable energy initiatives — communities can make net-zero goals achievable. The enemy isn’t political disagreement; it’s obstinacy. When both sides operate from common interests, compromise becomes not just possible but also the most effective way forward.